Cream of the Crop (The Hudson Valley Series Book 2)
Release Date: 12th July 2016
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton brings her trademark blend of funny and sexy to this second contemporary romance in the brand-new Hudson Valley series!
Manhattan’s It Girl, Natalie Grayson, has it all: she’s a hot exec at a leading advertising firm, known industry-wide for her challenging and edgy campaigns. She’s got a large circle of friends, a family that loves her dearly, and her dance card is always full with handsome eligible bachelors. What else could a modern gal-about-town wish for? The answer, of course, is…cheese.
Natalie’s favorite part of each week is spending Saturday morning at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, where she indulges her love of all things triple cream. Her favorite booth also indulges her love of all things handsome. Oscar Mendoza, owner of the Bailey Falls Creamery and purveyor of the finest artisanal cheeses the Hudson Valley has to offer, is tall, dark, mysterious, and a bit oblivious. Or so she thinks. But that doesn’t stop Natalie from fantasizing about the size of his, ahem, milk can.
Romance is churning, passion is burning, and something incredible is rising to the top. Could it be…love?
4.5 of 5 stars
Having read NUTS, I knew I was in for a treat when it came to Cream of the Crop. Alice Clayton once again produces a prize winning-innuendo filled, rambunctious rom-com that’s sure to have a spot on many favourite lists, including my own.
Bailey Falls is not just a small town in New York, oh no, it’s a Mecca for hot & sexy farmers. Take Oscar, a studly dairy farmer, who can churn butter like no other. Add to this his gruff demeanour and you have a recipe too delicious to resist.
Natalie Grayson is a laugh a minute, go-getting Manhattanite with a taste for Oscar’s wears. Being a city girl through and through, what she can’t stomach is the country. When work related matters mean she’ll have to spend more time in Bailey Falls, the automatic upside she’ll have the “friendly” neighbourhood farmer to give her some sugar.
Natalie has to be one of my favourite characters written this year. I enjoyed her fresh approach and her ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. Her relationship with Oscar was fun and oh, so sexy, but it also had some touching moments. My only criticism would be that I would have loved to have seen a bit more of them.
When it comes to this series you can consider me a country bumpkin. I just hope it’s not too long until I’m donning my flat cap and wellies again.
